Edward b



(No Model.)

E. AB. SKINNBR.

vR0AD- CART.

10.419,613. Patented Jan.v14',1890.

- as will enable others skilled in the art to which coiled springs, the uniform balance of the clevis. Fig. 4 is an inverted detail of seat- UNiTED STATES ATENTV Critics.

`EDWARD B. SKINNER, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LYMAN T. CURTIS AND SILAS E. CURTIS, CF SAME PLACE.

ROAD-CART.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,613, dated January 14, 1890.

Application tiled March l 1, 1 8 8 9.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. SKINNER, a citizen of the Unitedk States, residing at Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Road-Carts; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of 'reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to vehicles, and particularly to that class known as road-carts; and itconsists in the construction and arrangement of parts whereby the seat and foot-rest are suspended over the axle by means of cart for light or heavy weights maintained without adjustment, and the further arrangement of parts permitting the seat to retain a perfectly horizontal plane during the motion of the springs, the object being to produce a cheap and durable road-cart, and one that will effectually overcome the horse m0- tion, enabling also the employment of a lazyback to the seat, all of which will be fully hereinafter set forth, and the essential features of my device pointed out particularly in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of the frame-work of a roadcart embodying the improved features of my device. Fig. 2 is acentral sectional View taken on dotted line 9c of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the double-coiled spring and arm spring and seat. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of seat-arm and rocker. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on dotted line Z Z of Fig. 4. Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are details and modifications to be referred to.

As indicated in the drawings, T T represent the thills; G, the axle; B B', the curved cross-bars; I-I H, the seat-supporting arms; C C, the double-coiled springs, and S the seat. The thills and axle are constructed in Serial No. 302,923. (No model.)

the usual way, and will require no special mention.

The outer ends of the cross-bars B B are bolted to t-he thills T T andr their curved meeting faces secured by the bolt g. (See Fig. l.) The coiled springs C C rest against the inner curved face of the cross-bar B, and are held in position by means of the anglearms a a of said springs, the inner arms a passing over the top of the cross-bar B, down between the bars B B', and are secured to the under face of the bar B by the bolts s s. The outer arms a a, in like manner passing over the top-of the bar B, are secured to the upper face of the thills bythe bolts s s. This arrangement is clearly shown in Fig. 1. The springs C C are provided with the twisted shank Z), having at the end thereof the eye c, for purposes hereinafter described.

The forward ends of the seat-arms H H are provided with the metal plates Z, which are bolted to the under face of said arms and turned over the ends thereof, forming the elongated eye o. Said eye is slotted through its center transversely to receive the depending eye in the bolt passing through the thills and secured by the nut d. The bolt 6 is passed through the elongated eye in the plate Z, and through the depending eye in the bolt passing through the thills, whereby the forward ends of the seat-armsl H H are hinged to the under face of the thills T T, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

About midway between the ends of the seatarms H H, and by means of clips bolted to their under face, is secured the clevis V. Said clevis environs the seat-arms, and is pivotally coupled to the shank b of the coiled spring C by placing the eye c in said shank between the eyes 2 2 of the clevis, so as to register therewith, and passing the bolt i through said eyes 2 c 2, and securing it therein with the nut 3, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thus suspending the seat-arms H H from the coiled springs C C.

'board is av seat S, having the rockers R R and lazy-back K. By referring to the detail IOO section shown in Fig. 6 the parts lused to couple the seat S to the rear ends of the seatarms H H will be plainly seen and their operation clearly understood. The meeting ends of the bolts D D are lattened,holes punched therein to receive the rivet v, by which said ends are coupled, forming the joint m. The bolt D, passing up through the rocker R, is firmly held therein by the nut f. The bolt D passes loosely through the seat-arm H, through the end of the spring O, and receives on its lower end the thumb-nut t, the cut-out portion n of the rocker allowing a free action of the joint in, and the enlarged orifice n through the seat-arm H permitting a vertical and lateral play of the bolt D as the seat oscillates. XVhen the seat oscillates, the bolt D is drawn up, bringing the spring O against the under face of the seat-arm H, as shown by dotted lines in Figs. 5 and 6, whereby the seat is prevented from rocking too far, the degree of oscillation being governed by the thumb-nut t. This arrangement of parts allows the seat to oscillate on the rockers R R as it rises and falls by the motion of the springs C C, permitting the occupant of the seat to maintain a perfectly-perpendicular sitting and allowing the employment of a lazy-back to said seat with ease and comfort, whereas the rigid scat in common use on road-carts cannot be supplied with a lazyback, for reason that the peculiar motion given to such a seat by the action of the springs causes the lazy-back to strike and rub againstv the back of the occupant of the seat, which is very disagreeable, and in long riding becomes painful; but, if desired, the seat may be made perfectly rigid by screwing the thumb-nutt onto the bolt D', and forcing the spring O against the under face of the seat-arm H, as shown in Fig. 2, when the seat S will be firmly held from oscillating, and the seat may be also secured at any desired angle by placing the block L between the rocker R and the upper face of the seatarm I-I, and tightening the thumb-nut t, as shown in Fig. l0.

The foot-rest F is formed by bolting to the under face of each of the seat-arms H H the ends of the loopshaped metal straps Y, as shown at 5 5 in Fig. 2. Said loop-shaped straps are crossed by the slats h h, which are placed a certain distance apart and bolted at their ends to the metal straps Y. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) Thus the foot-rest will rise and fall with the motion of the seat, as shcwn by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

It will be observed by means of the seatarms H I-I, hinged at their forward ends to the under face of the thills and supporting on their rear ends the seat S, and being suspended near their longitudinal center from thc shanks b b of the coiled springs C C, an easy swinging motion is given to said seat when occupied. The yielding and elastic nature of the springs C C conduces, in conjunction with the oscillating feature of thc seat S, to eifectually overcome thehorse motion, and that a road cart constructed as described maintains a uniform balance with light or heavy weights without adjusting.

The modification shown in Figs. 7, 8, and

` 9 consists in employing the single tie-bolt D in coupling the seat to the seat-arms. Said tie-bolt passes down through the rocker R, through the seat-arm H and spring O', receiving on its lower end the thumb-nut t, the beveled head u of said bolt resting in the concaved washer w. (See Fig. 8.) The cutout portions E and E in the rocker R and seat-arm H, respectively, allow of the lateral play of the bolt D as the seat oscillates. The slots e e in the ends of the spring O, through which pass the screws z' 1', allow for the expansion of the spring when drawn upon by the bolt D. This modified form of coupling will be used in the same manner as that before described and will conduce to substantially the same result.

Having thusfully set'forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isf- 1. In a seat for a road-cart, the combination of the seat and rockers, said rockers having the cut-out portion fa', the seat-arms H II, having the enlarged orifice n, the jointed bolt passing through the rocker and through the orifice n in the seatarm, the spring O, and

thumb-nut t, as and for the purposes specified.`

2. In a road -cart, the combination of the thills, the curved cross-bars, the seat-supporting arms pivoted at their forward ends to the thills, the coiled springs C, having the end angle-arms a a and the twisted shank b, said springs being secured by means of their arms a a to the cross-bar B and to the thills, the clevis encircling the seat-supporting arm and pivoted to the outer end of the shank b of the spring, substantially as and for the purposes specified. 3, In a road-cart, the combination of the axle, thills, and cross-bars, the coiled springs having the shank b, the clevis V, the scatarms hinged at their forward ends to the thills, the foot-rest attached to the seat-arms, the seat S, mounted on the rear ends of said arms, said seat having the rockers R R, the spring O, secured to the under face of the seat-arms, the jointed bolt passing through the rockers R R, the arms H I-I, and spring 0, its lower end receiving the thu mb-nut t, whereby'said seat S is adapted to oscillate, as and for the purposes specified..

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDVARD I3. SKINNER.

Witnesses:

DENNIs LYON, BERNARD C. GEORGE.

IOO

IIO 

